Citation

Søndergaard DM. Fem. Psychol. 2005; 15(2): 189-208.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0959353505051728

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article provides analyses of ways in which sociocultural categories interfere with more formal assessment practices in academic contexts. While arguing that university careers demand academic as well as cultural and social capabilities, the analyses set out to understand how discourses of sex/gender, age, power and disciplinary position intersect, and how these intersections affect mutual interpretations among academicians. The text opens insights into some of the discursive practices that are provided for men and women, young and senior academics working in the margins or the core of their disciplines, in order for them to be read as culturally intelligible in their academic contexts. Intersections are shown to form highly complex networks of discursive practices that not only 'cut through' or 'add' effects of meaning to each other, but also work to tone and transform the pathways laid out for individuals in their lived lives. The analyses are based on an empirical study conducted among male and female assistant, associate and full professors at five different universities.